Visitor Views

See Jill’s film (4 Parts) – Note that this film is now several years old, and many issues have changed; some for the better, some are still as they were and some, well, have possibly declined even more !

Fatal accident

On 1 February 1995, Phipps was one of 35 protesters at Coventry Airport in Baginton, protesting at the export of live calves to Amsterdam for distribution across Europe. Ten protesters broke through police lines and were trying to bring the lorry to a halt by sitting in the road or chaining themselves to it when Phipps was crushed beneath the lorry’s wheels; her fatal injuries included a broken spine. Phipps’ death received a large amount of publicity, being brought up at Prime Minister’s question time in the House of Commons.

The Crown Prosecution Service decided there was not enough evidence to bring any charges against the driver. Phipps’ family blamed the police for her death, because the police appeared determined to keep the convoy of lorries moving despite the protest. The inquest heard that the driver may have been distracted by a protester running into the road ahead of him, who was being removed by a policeman.

The policeman in charge of the protest speculated that Phipps had chosen “deliberately [to] fall” under the wheels of the truck, but Phipps’ father insisted that she did not want to die as she had a young son to live for.

Aftermath

Veal calf exports from Coventry Airport ended months later, when the aviation firm belonging to the pilot responsible for the veal flights, Christopher Barrett-Jolly, went bankrupt following accusations of running guns from Slovakia to Sudan in breach of EU rules. In 2006 he was charged with smuggling 271 kg of cocaine from Jamaica into Southend airport.

The continuing level of protest was such that several local councils and a harbour board banned live exports from their localities.[4] All live exports of calves later stopped due to fears of BSE infection. In 2006 this ban was lifted, but Coventry Airport pledged that it would refuse requests to fly veal calves.

The fight to stop Uk live animal exports continues to this very day – please visit Kent Action Against Live Exports (KAALE) at http://www.kaale.org.uk/ to see events which are happening at the only port in the Uk which is now exporting live animals – Ramsgate, Kent, England.

SAV Comment: Excellent news, and in keeping with the overwhelming wishes of the British public. For too long now, Defra have ignored the people and tried every excuse in the book. We wish CAPS and BFF every success in taking this forward and getting a ban in British circuses.

Today, The Born Free Foundation and the Captive Animals’ Protection Society called upon the Government to make their position clear on wild animals in circuses as the two organisations stated their intention to look to the High Court to clarify the nature of the “legal obstacles” that Defra officials and Ministers claim are standing in the way of a ban on the use of wild animals in travelling circuses.

In a letter sent to the Secretary of State on the 23rd December, the two organisations, who have been campaigning for a ban on the practise for a number of years, expressed their frustration at the Government’s failure to make its decision clear on the issue. The letter highlighted the result of the previous government’s 2010 public consultation process, which saw an incredible 94.5% of respondents calling for a ban, and the unanimous motion passed by MPs in the House of Commons in June of this year “directing” the Government to implement the same.

In spite of this, the Government has apparently opted for a regime to license the use of wild animals in circuses; a process which leading animal welfare organisations say will be unworkable. Numerous statements from Defra officials have cited potential (but vague) legal obstacles to a ban, referring to an ongoing court case challenging an Austrian ban, as an example of what could happen here. However, last week the Austrian case was dismissed by the Constitutional Court in Vienna, apparently clearing the way for action in Westminster.

The charities have appealed to the Government to make its position clear and clarify whether or not the perceived legal obstacles are still cause for concern. If unspecified legal difficulties remain, the two groups will consider going to the High Court to try to overcome the current stalemate using the Judicial Review process as part of “friendly proceedings” in which the Secretary of State would be the named respondent.

Said Liz Tyson, Director of CAPS:

“We sincerely hope that the resolution of the Austrian court case will give rise to the Government taking the decision to make good their promise to listen to the will of the House of Commons and we are eager to clarify their next steps. If the perceived legal obstacles persist then the only way we can see to resolve the current impasse is to take the matter to court. We can speculate forever about what the outcome of a legal challenge to a ban might be and, during this procrastination period, animals will continue to suffer. We are asking Defra to allow this process to be decided once and for all and to work with us to seek a solution.”

Will Travers, CEO of the Born Free Foundation added:

“Having personally worked on this issue now for nearly two decades and in light of overwhelming public, Parliamentary and professional support for a ban, the Born Free Foundation and its supporters sincerely hope Defra will move swiftly and decisively to humanely end this form of wild animal exploitation. We seek nothing less than a guarantee that no wild animals will be subjected to life on the road when the circuses season starts again next spring.”

Truck full of dogs crammed into tiny cages and bound for Chinese restaurants is intercepted by animal lovers

Crammed into tiny cages, unable to stand and deprived of food and water, these dogs endured terrible suffering on a truck bound for a chain of restaurants.

The harrowing pictures show the cruel conditions in which 1,500 of the animals were found when the truck was stopped at a toll gate by highway police and animal rescue volunteers in Chongqing, south-west China.

The truck was stacked high with cages, each containing several dogs in pitiful condition.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

The animals were moved to a nearby farm by volunteers from the Chongqing Animal Protection Association who gave them food, water and emergency treatment. Sadly some of the dogs were already dead and rescue workers were unable to save other who were dying.

Volunteer Xiao Lu said: ‘When they [the dogs] saw us they were groaning, but some were so exhausted and dying that they didn’t even have the strength to make a sound.’

He said: ‘The dog peddler said his truck was only loaded with 700 dogs, but there are at least 1500.’

Dog continues to be a popular meal in the Far East, with many in China favouring the meat, particularly during the winter.

The incident comes just months after police in Thailand rescued more than 1,000 dogs that were being transported to Vietnam.

The dogs were being taken across the Mekong river in Laos as prices for stray dogs and pets in rural Thai villages can reach as much as $33 an animal.

11 COUNTRIES WHICH STILL EAT DOG MEAT

Eleven countries around the globe still eat dog meat. They are: China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Polynesia, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Arctic and Antarctic and two cantons in Switzerland.

China: Although the Chinese were the first to domesticate the dog and keep them as pets, dog meat has been a source of food from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before.

Indonesia: Eating dog meat is usually associated with people from the Batak Toba culture, who cook a traditional dish named saksang that is like a dog-meat stew.

Mexico: Dogs were historically bred for their meat by the Aztecs. These dogs were called itzcuintlis, and were often pictured on pre-Columbian Mexican pottery.

Philippines: In the capital city of Manila,the law specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food except in certain circumstances including research and animal population control.

Polynesia: Dogs were historically eaten in Tahiti and other islands of Polynesia at the time of first European contact in 1769.

Taiwan: Dog meat in Taiwan is particularly eaten in the winter months, especially black dogs, which are believed to help retain body warmth.

Korea: Gaegogi literally means ‘dog meat’ in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. The distaste felt by dog lovers, particularly from the West, has made this dish very controversial.

Switzerland: According to a Swiss newspaper report in 1996, the Swiss rural cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal purposes.

Vietnam: Dog meat is eaten throughout Vietnam. To many Northerners, it is a popular, if relatively expensive, dinnertime restaurant meal.

Arctic and Antarctic: Dogs have historically been an emergency food source for various peoples in Siberia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. Sled dogs are usually maintained for pulling sleds, but occasionally are eaten when no other food is available.

PayPal link and full details on site if you wish to donate by this method.

Bank Account Number

Felix – Felinolosko drustvo

SWIFT/BIC: VBUBRS22 (Vojvodjanska banka a.d. Novi Sad)

IBAN: RS35355000320003120311

Felix – Felinolosko drustvo

355-1070729-96

Svrha uplate: uplata gradjana

Mission Statement

The purpose of Novi Sad Cats is to raise awareness of (and eventually funds for) an independent animal shelter for homeless cats in the Vojvodina region of Serbia. We will also bring you true stories and lots of pictures of these charming creatures. Email us at felix.shelter@gmail.com

Felix kitties need your help!

The weather is changeable this winter and it affects all of my kitties, especially the oldest and the youngest. Almost all new kitties that arrived this year and are not fully adapted to the life in the shelter are already under treatment, they have a fever and eye discharge and most of them are sneezing.

It’s rather warm now, at least for this time of the year, but we had bad snow a couple of weeks ago, as you may see on the photos. I fear for my chronically ill kitties, they’re always in crisis during the winter. Although a contagious respiratory infection is not a serious health threat for most cats, for the elderly or those who have a chronic health problem it can result in serious complications.

My kitties are in continuous need of your support. Vet bills are mounting, and lots of medicines have to be bought for treatment at home.

Right now, 6 of my cats are being given injections and the vet is coming every day. It’s extremely hard to defray costs of maintaining or restoring health of dozens of senior cats, 15 chronic patients and 5 delicate kittens under the age of six months.

Again, I’m forced to ask for your help as we depend on your generosity.

With 8 votes (and only one vote against) PL 912 for management of dogs by euthanasia has just been declared UNCONSTITUTIONAL because the Articles 7 and 8 – that speaks about under what conditions can be make euthanasia and also adoption are unconstitutional.

It means, in the absence of clear medical criteria,

EUTHANASIA IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

Therefore, the Constitutional Court sends the law back to the commissions in Parliament!

Our materials containing the legal counters have been taken into consideration and the members of the Constitutional Court have proved they are not corrupt!

Your protests sent to the Constitutional Court, your whole work in Romania have been and are of incontestable help, showing to them they are always monitorised and warned!

Thank you very much for that!
Let’s hope the future will be for strays like today is!

** CAMPAIGNER ACTION REQUIRED ** to be completed by first week of March 2012.

An 8 hour Written Declaration (WD), Ref 0049 / 2011 and calling for an 8 hour maximum journey limit for live animals in transport has now been created by the following MEP’s – Dan Jørgensen, Esther de Lange, Pavel Poc, Carl Schlyter and Andrea Zanoni.

This Written Declaration is IN ADDITION TO the 1 million + petition which has been recently signed and completed by Euro citizens.

***** Do not confuse it with this EU citizen petition – this is a separate issue.

This Written Declaration can only be signed by supportive Members of the European Parliament (MEP). It further supports the Euro citizen petition (! Million +) if the required numbers of (MEP) signatures are achieved.

The required number is at least 369.

And so we need to support this massive Euro citizen petition of over 1 million by collecting the signatures of 369 (minimum) MEP’s by the deadline date of 15th March 2012.

We currently have 119 MEP signatures collected throughout Europe but still have another minimum of 250 to collect.

To clarify, at least 369 MEP signatures of the WD need to be collected by early March if there is to be any success.

The number of the specific Written Declaration is: 0049 / 2011.

Its title is: Written Declaration on the establishment of a maximum 8-hour journey limit for animals transported in the European Union for the purpose of being slaughtered.